Dust removing attachment for grain elevators



Feb. 11, 1947. T. c. LORENZ EN DUST REMOVING ATTACHMENT FOR GRAIN ELEVATQR Filed May 10, 1944 3mm 37299070: '6. lore/7; e Z

Patented Feb. 11, 1947 NT OFFKIE DUST REMOVING ATTACHMENT FOR GRAIN ELEVATORS Thomas C. Lorenzen, Choteau, Mont.

Application May 10, 1944, Serial No. 535,008

boot at the bottom of the elevator.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a suction fan adapted for attaching to the boot of the elevator and providing an operative connection between the fan and the pulley for the endless belt of the elevator, whereby the fan will be operated only while the elevator is in operation.

A further object is to provide an attachment of this character of simple and practical construction, which may be attached to the grain elevator without material changes in the construction or alteration thereof, and which at the same time is efi'icient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwies Well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the lower end of the grain elevator, showing the suction fan attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail of one of the adjustable attaching plates between the suction fan and the elevator boot.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention. the numerals 5 and 6 designate the spaced-apart legs of the elevator and the numeral 1 designates the boot at the lower end of the legs and in which the lower pulley 8 for the endless belt 9 is journaled, the belt having the buckets I9 attached thereto and the pulley 8 being secured on a shaft I l journaled in the sides of the boot and with its ends projecting outwardly therefrom. The means for introducing the grain into the down leg 5 and the outlet at the top of the up leg are not shown, since this is conventional and forms no part of the invention.

A conduit I2 extends substantially horizontally from the side of the boot 1 adjacent the down leg 5 of the elevator, the end of the conduit I2 having a Vertically elongated flange I 3 formed thereon and provided with upper and lower vertical slots I4 and I5.

A fan housing I6 has an opening in one side thereof and also formed with a vertically elongated flange I1 which lies flatly against the flange I3. The flange I! is provided with bolts I8 which project through the slots l4 and I5 of the flange I3, whereby to secure the fan housing I6 in vertically adjusted position, on the conduit I2.

Journaled in the side walls of the fan housing I6 is a shaft I9 to which the fan 20 is secured, one end of the shaft I9 projecting outwardly through a side of the housing opposite from the flange I! and supported in a bearing bracket 2| secured to the adjacent side of the housing A pulley 22 is secured on the outer end of the shaft I9 and is driven by a belt 23 from a pulley 24 on the shaft II.

The vertical adjustment of the fan housing IS on the end of the conduit I2 will serve to tighten the belt 23. v

A discharge pipe 25 extends upwardly from the housing I6 having a slip joint 26 therein to accommodate vertical adjustment of the fan housing, the discharge pipe leading to a suitable point away from the elevator.

In the operation of the device, the fan 29 is driven by the pulley 5 at the lower end of the grain elevator and as grain enters the boot I, in the usual manner, the fan 29 will operate to draw dust entering the boot with the grain and convey it out through the conduit I2 from the boot and away from the elevator through the discharge pipe 25.

The fan 20 will be operated only while the conveyor belt 9 is in operation.

It is believed the details of construction, manner of operation and advantages of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

In a grain elevator including spaced apart vertically disposed legs mounted in superimposed relation with respect to a boot and carried by the latter, the one leg constituting the down leg and the other of said legs constituting the up leg, an endless belt carrying a plurality of buckets spaced from each other adapted for travel through said legs, and actuating means operatively connected to said belt for causing the belt to travel downwardly through said down leg and upwardly through said up leg, the combination with said boot of a dust removal device, said device comprising a vertically disposed fan housing arranged 3 in spaced offset relation with respect to said boot and down leg, a substantially horizontally disposed conduit tapering from the bottom of said boot and having a portion in association with said down leg and connected thereto and its other end detachably connected to a side of said fan housing, said housing being provided with an upwardly projecting discharge pipe contiguous to said down leg, and a fan rotatively mounted in said housing and belt means operatively connecting it to said actuating means, whereby, upon rotation of the fan, the dust entering the boot with the grain is caused to be conveyed out of the boot and through the conduit and thence out, through and out of the discharge pipe.

THOMAS C. LORENZEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

